Diarrhea, Nausea, loss of appetite 9 weeks post Gall Bladder Removal
Posted , 9 users are following.
Hi Everyone!
I had my gallbladder removed 9 weeks ago due to multiple gallstones. I had a tiny bit of diarrhea for a couple of days after surgery but that cleared up quickly. I resumed a low fat bland diet for a month and things were going well and I slowly started to introduce some normal foods into my diet but being careful of fatty foods.
The trouble started when I tried to introduce some cheese into my diet 2 weeks ago. Since then I have been suffering with diarrhea all day and sometimes it just runs out of me like water - yellow water just like bile! I haven't been able to leave the house for 2 weeks! I have only been able to eat some boiled potato, toast and a banana on some days and other days nothing. I am not so nauseous but have no appetite and am starting to feel a bit weak from lack of nutrition. I have been taking mineral replacement sachets.
I have some pain under my right lower ribs but it is just a dull ache and a bit tender inside not severe. No bowel cramping either.
If anyone else has suffered from these symptoms I would love to hear from you and if you were able to find anything to help.
I wasn't told by the medics to be prepared for this and am a bit shocked about what is going on! I have a GP appointment on Monday morning but it would be good to hear of any other experiences before I go.
Thank you.
0 likes, 22 replies
Rich777 heather29346
Posted
At eight weeks and still nauseous. Had an ultrasound and my common bile duct looked fine, so I’m being told it just takes time for things to settle down. It’s created eating anxiety, as well as general anxiety. Bless everybody on this site.
heather29346 Rich777
Posted
Thank you for your reply. So sorry to hear you are suffering too. At least you have been checked out. I agree re the anxiety of what to eat and what is going in inside!
Wish someone had told me this could happen.
I hope you start to feel better soon.
Rich777 heather29346
Posted
Thank you. yes, like everyone else, I was under the assumption that I would wake up and miraculously have no more digestive issues. I never really had any pain, except for a twinge in my lower back. That has completely gone away. I had one stone, chronic cholecystitis and polyps. All of my symptoms, nausea, some bloating and operate discomfort aligned itself well with the gallbladder. I had to ultrasounds, a HIDA scan which showed injection fraction of 97%, and endoscopy and a colonoscopy. They really narrowed it down to the gallbladder. i’ve read and heard from many people, including multiple gastroenterologist and surgeons that it can be many months before your body readjust. I’m 46 and I’ve had the same digestive system for that long. I guess it makes sense to think that it would take more than four or eight weeks to fully remedy. I pray every day that I will wake up and it will be gone.
Rich777
Posted
Operate discomfort = upper right discomfort
heather29346 Rich777
Posted
Gosh - you had a lot of thorough tests to get the diagnosis. I suppose we are all different in how we react to losing an organ. I thought that because I had got over the actual surgery quite well it was all plain sailing from there.
Nausea is very debilitating. I had that just after surgery but thankfully it has subsided a lot. The digestive tract is so complex I am not surprised that we are having problems - it's just that people I know haven't had any post surgery problems and one was out eating curry a couple of weeks after their op.
Have you tried anything for the nausea? Ginger tea or biscuits perhaps?
Rich777 heather29346
Posted
From my understanding, the people who have pain prior to surgery tend to rebound immediately after. The people with digestive issues tend to take more time. I can confirm that to some degree. As I had pain in my back which completely disappeared upon waking up from surgery, but the digestive issues, as we’ve spoken about, have lingered. My apologies for the many grammatical in the earlier post. I am addicted to voice recognition, but sometimes don’t proofread before sending! Blessings to all of us wannabe back to normal folks!
joanna17875 heather29346
Posted
Hey there
sorry to tell you this bit it took nearly a year for my system to settle down and I still can't eat foods like cheese, just one of those things, I was checked out and all came back normal. I think you will discover what your system can cope with and will steadily improve.
best wishes
heather29346 joanna17875
Posted
Thanks for the reply. Goodness! nearly a year! I thought all my troubles would be over once the nasty thing was out!
I guess it is just a waiting game and like you say trial and error. I think eating the cheese has set off this episode and my system is finding it hard to settle back down again. Did you have the dreaded yellow diarrhea?
I hope you are feeling better now.
Thank you for your help. It's good to see I am not alone.
joanna17875 heather29346
Posted
Thats it, just be kind to yourself, relax and let time do the work, like I said it has taken a long time but I have learnt to stay on lowish fat foods, veg, fruit, smoothies, not too much dairy, fish etc. Yes I did have the yellow diarreah!!
Keep in touch.
regards
heather29346 joanna17875
Posted
I have a feeling I will have to steer clear of fatty or spicy foods in the future. I love curry but it's just not worth it!
How long did the yellow diarrhea last for? This is what I am finding hardest to cope with at the moment as I am confined to the house for obvious reasons!
Heather xxx
iris58334 heather29346
Posted
Hi Heather. I had my gallbladder out in Feb 2017 . It has only been two weeks for you. Give it sometime. Try to eat solid foods. For the first little bit, i had the same problem with certain foods. Your body has to get use to having no gallbladder. The liver has to take over the functions of what the gallbladder did. The cramping is from your organs moving back in place. Try eating some solid foods. Like a meal with meat and potatos and veggies. it will give your body a bit more solidity. But eat slowly though and have a glass of water with it . i was told by my surgeon to. just watch the acidy foods and the greasey foods and the spicy foods. it has been a year and a half for me i still have a little bit of a problem with certain foods. Also fiber in your diet also helps. Oatmeal for breakfast with toast, things like that ..Just take it easy. oh btw stress doesnt help either. take care
heather29346 iris58334
Posted
Hi Iris.
Thank you for all the info. Good to hear from someone who has been through all this.
I am actually 9 weeks post op but from what I hear that is still early days.
I am trying to eat but have had no appetite for the last two weeks when the bad diarrhea started. I will try to get some more fibre into me and see what happens.
I am getting stressed so must try not to do that!
Thank you again and best wishes.
barbara37001 heather29346
Posted
HI HEATHER ! my story i had a gall,stone in my bile duct had this out had the bile duct cut to let more through until i had my gall bladder out after this i had terrible lose motions i read on the internet about QUESTRAN people who have had their gall bladder out can have bad diarehh its because of to much bile coming now from your liver drip drip drip ! so went to my doctors after suffering for weeks and he prescribed it after a about 4 days it started to work some people suffer some do not . Its been a long journey took the NHS over a year to sort me out, now had my gall bladder removed 4 weeks ago since then had a small amount of strange yellow liquid my bowels are all over the place ive only been out once on my own and yes thought i would feel a tad better but have nausea! and really been good with my diet bland food i have been so tired ive spent most if those 4 weeks in bed and i have lost a stone in weight which i can ill afford to do !! this as been going on since early 2018 ? It seems we are all different . The surgeon told me nothing and gall bladder doctors told me nothing about diet not one single thing ive learnt it off the internet i think my family are so fed up with me they keep saying thought you would feel better by now i feel pressured and fed up too. hope you can feel better soon let us know what doctor says please xx
heather29346 barbara37001
Posted
Hello Barbara
What a nightmare you have had. I am so sorry you are still not well and having nausea. Seems like we are left to our own devices and thank goodness that we can find out a lot on the internet ! I haven't received any information from my GP or surgeon and my follow up was done by my GP at 3 weeks post op when I was feeling well. I was diagnosed with gallstones in May last year but due to a mistake at the hospital (wrong scans and waiting lists) waited a year to have it removed. That year was hard as had to watch fatty foods, was in pain and my bowels were playing up all the time. I more or less put myself on a low fat diet during that year. After surgery I did well and it is only now that I am having these problems 9 weeks post op. I think 4 weeks is still early days for you and for those of us who were run down before the op it is going to take longer to recover. I was on a bland diet for 4 weeks and still getting very tired. I did try to do light chores around the house and walk around the garden or a little walk outside. I am 66 so wasn't expecting to feel like a spring lamb! Some people do feel better straight away and can eat anything. This puts pressure on us to get better soon which we don't need as everyone is different. If you can manage to get out even for a few minutes the fresh air might help you feel better otherwise you will start to get physically weak. Are you able to eat anything? I am losing weight too but could do with it so not a problem for me. Just want to feel well like you. I have heard of Questran on the internet so will talk to my GP regarding that tomorrow. There is also something called psyllium husk which is a natural remedy which can help. Tomorrow can't come soon enough to speak to the Dr. I would like confirmation this is surgery related and not gastroenteritis so I know the way forward and any treatment they can offer.
I will post what he says.
heather29346 barbara37001
Posted
Hi Barbara
Saw the Dr today and he told me that my symptoms were not unusual 9 weeks post op. Grrrh. Why didn't anyone tell me this! He said it takes a long time for things to heal inside and settle down with nausea, tiredness and bowel problems.
Had a thorough physical examination by him and two student Dr's and nothing untoward was found. He said to keep eating if possible as not eating makes the nausea and diarrhea worse.
Just to make sure, he has organised some blood and stool tests just in case I have picked up an infection and I go back next week for the results.
He gave me immodium and probiotics but won't give me anything else until the test results are back.
How are you doing? Hope you are a bit better?
Heather xxx